Clever Girls

Will You Be Feeling Childish Gambino’s ‘Heartbeat’?

Childish Gambino, otherwise known as actor/comedian Donald Glover, continues rolling along with the promotion of his album Camp. The latest fruit from that promo trail is the video for single "Heartbeat." Continuing on in the emo-rap tradition of Drake, B.O.B. and Kid Cudi, "Heartbeat" is all about the complexities of relationships that modern young men face (expressed here in whiny lyrics about sex, infidelity and everything else we've come to expect). The video is a rather staid affair, though, with Gambino playing chauffeur for a pretty young thing for the first half, then a scene of them kissing madly followed by them eventually switching places with her in the drivers' seat (maybe there's some symbolism there that I'm not getting). In any measure, I prefer Glover when he's making me laugh on Community--or his surprise Awkward Black Girl cameo--than as his alter ego Childish Gambino. But more power to him anyway, I guess. You can feel for the pulse of "Heartbeat" when press play below.